Attraction (decoy) chess puzzles
20 attraction (decoy) puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a attraction (decoy) in chess?
Attraction, also called a decoy, lures an enemy piece, often the king, onto a square where it can be forked, pinned or mated, usually by a sacrifice it must capture.
How to spot a attraction (decoy)
If you see a winning fork or mate that only works with the king on a certain square, look for a sacrifice on that square that forces the king to go there.
Learn it first: Attraction (decoy) sacrifices
Attraction (decoy) chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 30. Rh3.
Puzzle rating 671
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
30... Rxf1+ 31. Kxf1 Qd1#
FEN: 6k1/p2q1p2/1p2p1pQ/4P3/1P6/P6R/5PPP/3r1BK1 b - - 4 30
Puzzle 2: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 26... Rxh7.
Puzzle rating 1063
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, attraction (decoy), exposed king
Show solution
27. Rxh7+ Kxh7 28. Rh1+ Bh3 29. Rxh3#
FEN: 3b2rk/7r/3pbPp1/ppqNp1P1/4P3/3B4/PPP5/2KR3R w - - 0 27
Puzzle 3: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 22... Bxb5.
Puzzle rating 1292
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, attraction (decoy), middlegame tactic
Show solution
23. Rxg8+ Kxg8 24. Qd8+ Be8 25. Qxe8#
FEN: rn1R2rk/5ppp/4p3/1b6/7Q/P4q2/1PP4P/1K4R1 w - - 0 23
Puzzle 4: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 24... Ne8.
Puzzle rating 1401
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, back-rank mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
25. Rxe8+ Kxe8 26. Qa8#
FEN: 1R2nk1r/3pppb1/6p1/2P5/3P3p/2N1PQP1/3q1P1P/6K1 w - - 2 25
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 26... Rg8.
Puzzle rating 1426
Hint
Theme: pin, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
27. Rxg6+ Qxg6 28. Rg4 Kh7 29. Rxg6
FEN: 6r1/p1p2rkq/1p3pnp/4p2Q/1R4R1/2PP2PP/P1P2P2/6K1 w - - 2 27
Puzzle 6: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 37... Rde8.
Puzzle rating 1573
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
38. Qxh7+ Kxh7 39. Rh4#
FEN: 1q2r1rk/5p1p/3p1PpQ/3Pn3/1p1BPR2/7P/1P6/4R1K1 w - - 7 38
Puzzle 7: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 30. Bf4.
Puzzle rating 1607
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, Opera mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
30... Qxf1+ 31. Kxf1 Re1#
FEN: 4r1k1/pQ4pp/5p2/8/1P3B2/2P3bP/P3q1P1/5RK1 b - - 2 30
Puzzle 8: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 40... a2.
Puzzle rating 1677
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, hook mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
41. Rxb6+ Kxb6 42. Rb7+ Kc6 43. b5+ Kd6 44. Rd7#
FEN: r7/4R3/1n5R/1kNp1r2/1PpPp3/2P5/p7/6K1 w - - 0 41
Puzzle 9: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 29... Bg5.
Puzzle rating 1826
Hint
Theme: deflection, attraction (decoy), promotion
Show solution
30. Rxh7+ Kxh7 31. Nxg5+ Nxg5 32. d8=Q
FEN: 8/p2P1R1p/1pr1n1pk/2p1p1b1/4N3/7P/PP4P1/6K1 w - - 3 30
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 14... Nh5.
Puzzle rating 1891
Hint
Theme: discovered attack, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
15. Bxf7+ Kxf7 16. Ng5+ Ke7 17. Qxh5
FEN: r1b1k2r/qp1n1ppp/2p5/p3pP1n/P1B1P3/2N2N1P/2PB1bP1/1R1Q1K1R w kq - 3 15
Puzzle 11: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 16... f6.
Puzzle rating 1926
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
17. Bh7+ Nxh7 18. Rxg7+ Kxg7 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Nf7#
FEN: r2qrnk1/pp1n2p1/2pbpp1p/3pN3/3P1P2/2PBP1RP/PPQ3P1/R1B3K1 w - - 0 17
Puzzle 12: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 37... Rg8.
Puzzle rating 2009
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, Opera mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
38. Qxh7+ Kxh7 39. Rh5+ Qh6 40. Rxh6#
FEN: 6rk/1p5p/2p1q3/p2p1R2/3bnB2/7Q/P1P3RP/7K w - - 3 38
Puzzle 13: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 18... Qf3.
Puzzle rating 2063
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, Pillsbury’s mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
19. Qxf8+ Kxf8 20. Bh6+ Kg8 21. Re8#
FEN: rb3rk1/1p3p1p/p1n3pQ/2p5/3p3P/P2P1qPb/BPP2P2/RNB1R1K1 w - - 3 19
Puzzle 14: Black to move and mate in 5
Black to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 23. Kc3.
Puzzle rating 2139
Hint
Theme: fork, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
23... Qe5+ 24. Kb4 Rd4+ 25. c4 Rxc4+ 26. Ka3 Rxa4+ 27. Kxa4 Qb5+ 28. Ka3 Qa5#
FEN: 2kr3N/1pp1Q1R1/p3bp1p/8/P3P3/2K2P2/1PPP3q/RNB5 b - - 6 23
Puzzle 15: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 22. Nc5.
Puzzle rating 2196
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, Opera mate, pin
Show solution
22... Qxh2+ 23. Kxh2 Rh4+ 24. Kg1 Rh1#
FEN: 2k4r/pbp2ppp/3b3q/2N5/1P1r4/6P1/P1Q1BP1P/2R2RK1 b - - 3 22
Puzzle 16: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 35. Rxh4.
Puzzle rating 2265
Hint
Theme: deflection, attraction (decoy), hanging piece
Show solution
35... Qxh4 36. Rh1 Rxf2+ 37. Kg1 Rf1+ 38. Kxf1 Qxh1+
FEN: r4r1k/7q/3p2Q1/p2Pp3/2P4R/2P5/PP3PK1/1R6 b - - 0 35
Puzzle 17: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 38. Kh2.
Puzzle rating 2364
Hint
Theme: deflection, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
38... Bxh4 39. Bxh4 Rxh4+ 40. Kg1 Rf1+ 41. Rxf1 Rh1+ 42. Kxh1 exf1=Q+
FEN: 6k1/4b1p1/2R5/P4r1p/1P4rP/2P3B1/4p1PK/4R3 b - - 3 38
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 17... h6.
Puzzle rating 2412
Hint
Theme: discovered attack, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
18. Nh7 Kxh7 19. fxg6+ fxg6 20. Rxf6
FEN: r4r2/p2n1pk1/1p3qpp/2pb1PN1/8/2PB4/PP4PP/R1Q2RK1 w - - 0 18
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 24. Ba3+.
Puzzle rating 2514
Hint
Theme: pin, discovered check, double check
Show solution
24... c5 25. Rh1 Rg3+ 26. Kf4 Rxf3+ 27. Kxf3 Qxh1+ 28. Ke2 Re8
FEN: r4k2/1p4p1/1bp1Q1p1/pP1P1pK1/P7/B2P1B1r/5P1q/RN3R2 b - - 5 24
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 23... Nxh3.
Puzzle rating 2630
Hint
Theme: pin, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
24. Rd8+ Qf8 25. Bxf7+ Kxf7 26. e6+ Kxe6 27. Rxf8 Nd7 28. Rxa8
FEN: rn4k1/pp3p1p/2p2Ppq/4P3/2B1N3/2P4n/PP4PP/3R3K w - - 0 24